several defeats, took from them their capital of Turki-
stan, and to a large extent drove them from their old
quarters. So early as 1718 we have Tiavka, Kaip,
and Abulkhair, each styled “ khan,” appealing to the
Russians in Siberia, and offering submission, in the
hope, no doubt, of receiving assistance against their
inveterate foes the Kalmuks. Thirty years later we
find the Kazaks coming to Semipolatinsk, where orders
had been issued not to take from them customs’ dues
on account of their herds, brought to the-Upper Irtish
iorts to be bartered for corn. So long, however, as
the Kalmuks dominated the Irtish, the Kazaks seem
to have kept at a respectful distance ; but immediately
after the slaughter of the former in 1758, the -Kirghese
hastened to appropriate the vacant pastures, dividing
them under the rule of sultans. Thus Sultan Ablai
settled on the streams Tchar-Kurban and Kyltchatz,
and Abdul Faiz in that part of the steppe west of the
Irtish, known later as the districts of Kar-karaly and
Kokpety. Others, again, wandered between Omsk
and Ust-Kamenogorsk, some of whom, in 1758, made
a raid on the Russian frontiers, and carried off 220
Tatars from the district of Kuznetzk.
The Sultan Ablai, chief of a part of the Middle
horde, coquetted with both Russians and Chinese, and,
depending now on one and now on the other, assumed
the title of khan, and gave the Siberians some little
trouble; but Sultan Abdul Faiz, in 1760, sent ambassadors
to Petersburg, promising to protect caravans
from Central Asia going to Semipolatinsk, asked to be
taken under Russian sovereignty, and for permission
to trade at Semipolatinsk. This request was granted,
and for the Kazaks was built the new exchange 10
miles above the old fort. It was surrounded by
palisades, and had a guard-house for the military, near
which was a peculiar signal tower on four high posts,
the upper part being filled with brushwood, to be
ignited as a beacon fire.
T o this exchange the Kirghese under the jurisdiction
of Abdul Faiz came, in 1765, to the number of
120, thereby fulfilling one object the Russians had in
view in building it, namely, to checkmate the Chinese,
who opened a trading depot in Sungaria, hoping
thereby to attract the Kirghese to their sovereignty.
The Russians afterwards transferred the whole of the
town of Semipolatinsk to the new site, a portion of
the traders being located in a suburb on the left bank
of the Irtish, where the Tashkendians and Bokhariots
were lodged. About a quarter of a century later,, two
other quarters were built on the same side of the river
for the Kirghese, who had manifested a desire to
settle, and to whom was granted, in 1808, 10 years’
freedom from taxes.
Thus the Cossacks found the Kirghese more peaceable
neighbours than the Kalmuks, and more pliable,
so that they could afford to adopt towards them a
policy of conciliation. Supposing their new protégés
to be Mussulmans, the most Christian and orthodox
Russians, in 1784, went so far as to pay mullahs to
spread over the steppe the creed of Muhammad, and
three years later, for the further benefit of their
Islamite subjects, ordered the Koran to be published;,
and though the government was at this time sending
into exile dissenters, dike the Dukhobortsi, who dared to
differ from the Church on the subject of the Trinity, they
yet paid ignorant mullahs to proclaim “ There is but
one God, and Muhammad is His prophet.” Hand in
hand with this inconsistent propaganda went on a more